That kind of day where everything goes right

As typical, identifying features have been removed or altered in this retelling and some events altered to protect pt rights.

Today was so wonderful. I had so many "thank you's" and "you were right" and "you saved my butt today" and "Are you doing cocaine?" than I've had in a while! Soooo Awesome!!!!

First thing that happened:

I totally rocked a final and passed a dreaded advanced math class I need towards advancing my nursing degree. Then during break the ED paged out several holes in the schedule and offered critical bonus and overtime benefits for anyone who would pick them up.

Of course I picked up!

I finish the final. I get to work. I start work "in the box" aka I become the lobby wench. I assist in triaging several patients and really felt I made a difference. One young woman came in huffing and in a complete panic saying her mother needed to see a doctor. I look at her mother and look at the daughter and put my hand on the daughter, a young adult, barely out of her teens, I presume. I say, "Don't you worry at all. You're in the ER now. You're mom is going to be treated immediately and she will be taken care of. You guys are in a good spot now." She sighed with immense relief. I continue, "Oh and by the way. I absolutely love your hair! It looks gorgeous!!"

The mom and daughter laugh and begin making small talk. I notify the mom she has a fever of 103.3 and she is completely shocked by this news. We get her back. It wasn't terribly busy or anything so there was no wait.

Several other people came through. I was so excited and happy to see everyone and try to assure them things were going to be as wonderful as I felt.

Then my four hours in lobby pass by and I'm now a float nurse in the main ED. No sooner than I get myself situated, that the lobby explodes and the poor Paramedic assisting with triage is totally overwhelmed. We get ambulance after ambulance. Two of which are being sent to our shock rooms. Soon the charge nurse yells at me to haul a bed out to lobby to pick up a patient that just arrived.

"He's got a blood pressure of 0" the charge informs. Of course I know that is an exaggeration but I get the point.

I'm getting hyped! Alright, some action, I think to myself. I'm wheeling this bed out and get out to the lobby. An older gentleman, grossly obese, and severely short of breath, has a BP of 82/59. I was actually expecting the BP to be lower, but I'm still happy we get to bring him back on a cart. Like, FABULOUS!!! And even better, we have no rooms so we're starting everything in the hall.

I get a 20G in his L hand. Charge is filling out his ED triage. I grab anticipated labs and I have a bag of saline ready and primed just in case the pt's BP drops too much lower. Pitting edema is noted in all extremities. +1 pitting in BUE and +2 in BLE. Poor guy is definitely having some bad issues today. The doc orders a septic work up and well....

"HOLLA YOU MED-SURG NURSES!! ED IS IN THE HOUSE!!"

I did a full septic work up with an ABG, I&O cath, admitted to a monitor, EKG, and dual blood cx's all in less than 45 minutes!! Omg... everything was perfect. I got everything on the first try. Didn't have any issues. AMAZING!!!! I was extremely proud of my ABG since I got that so quickly... often those suckers run and hide once I get under the skin.

I turn the pt back over to his rightful primary nurse once I'm finished.

I move on to a new pt and begin my first colace enema. I confer with a more experienced nurse that this is essentially no different than a soap-suds enema. She concurs and I proceed with the colace enema.

I inform the patient about the procedure. He's well-aware and has been through this multiple times. I let rip the torrid of colace as it fills his bowels. The patient says, "Hmmm. You know... This tastes like strawberries!"

"Is it chocolate covered strawberries?" I'm tempted to respond, but bite my tongue for fear of being unprofessional. The patient has a very productive BM thereafter. We finish the last half of the bag with great relief to the patient.

Well, that was certainly interesting and actually kind of fun... but I dont think i'll want to do it every day... but felt great to finally help admnister relief to the poor pt. What a hoot this person was!! LOVE IT!!

Then at the end of my four hours as float I was instructed to go upstairs to deliver some personal belongings to a recently admitted pt who left a baggie of things behind. When I got the to the second floor it turned out to be the mother with the 103.3 temperature. She recognized me by name right away!!!!

I strutted up to her and patted her on the back, expressing my gratitude that she remembered my name. Then she really brightened my day even more... "You really helped us when we first got here. (My daughter) was so worried and I was so confused as to why I felt like this. Thank you for making us feel safe."

"Thank you for making us feel safe." .... wow.... that was a first for me!!!

Once again, I'd like to repeat, "HOLLA YOU MED-SURG NURSES!! ED IS IN THE HOUSE!!"

Soooooooo that was my day today. Made buku money and had a wonderful if not AMAZING time doing it!!!

Heck, cocaine or not, i'd love to see more nurses with your spirit and enthusiasm, especially in a hectic ER setting lol. You remind me a lot of myself, and having been unemployed for 3wks from my ER job I loved for 4yrs, your story reminds me how much I miss it :-(
Always remember this.. you'll have lots of shifts where you miss every IV or abg, but your ability to communicate therapeutically with patients and make them feel comfortable, will always be important, and appreciated!
Great job!!